While many Real Housewives stars have faced backlash for using Ozempic to slim down, Heather Dubrow isn’t here for the criticism.
“I’m over this whole ozempic-shaming thing, and I’m also over people asking, ‘Are you on Ozempic?’” the Real Housewives of Orange County star, 54, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, August 9. “Would you ask someone, ‘Are you on a beta-blocker? Cholesterol? What are your statins? What’s that looking like?’ It’s private medical information. I don’t think it’s anyone’s business.”
Dubrow further noted that Ozempic and other similar weight loss drugs “[seemed] to be working wonders” for individuals with diabetes long before semaglutide injections were used for weight loss. “I think it’s gonna end up being like Botox was [when it] first came out,” she told Us. “I remember, I think Terry [Dubrow] and I had been married, like, a year or two, and InStyle magazine interviewed me and they said, ‘What’s the strangest thing you have in your refrigerator?’ And I said, ‘Botox.’ And everyone was like, ‘[Dramatic gasp.] She said, Botox.’ And I was like, ‘Hey, I am married to a plastic surgeon and I get injected every couple of months. It’s good.’ And now, you know, you can’t spit in New York City and not hit a Botox center on a street corner. I mean, it’s everywhere.”
She continued: “I feel like these miracle weight loss drugs are gonna end up being the same thing. Plus, back in my day, what did we do? I took Dexatrim, I smoked cigarettes and I drank Diet Coke. Oh, that was a healthy, great plan.”
Terry, 64, however, isn’t sure if Ozempic and Botox are totally comparable.
“These Ozempic-type drugs aren’t the new Botox. They’re better. They’re Botox, liposuction, breast augmentation, facelifts,” the Botched doctor exclusively told Us earlier this month. “Put it all together, and you’ve got a drug that’s not only making people look better and feel better, it’s treating the No. 1 risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and cancer. So, this is an incredibly powerful positive thing that is truly the most significant, I think, medical breakthrough in history.”
Medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy were primarily approved for individuals who struggle with diabetes, high blood pressure or other chronic weight-related conditions. In recent months, many celebrities — including several of Heather’s fellow Housewives, such as her RHOC costar Emily Simpson — have tried the drug to help their own weight loss journeys.
“[My] doctor was just like, ‘Oh, there’s this new weight loss drug and it’s just been FDA-approved and it’s great. I think it would really help you lose some weight, and you’ll feel better and you’ll be able to get working out again and feeling more like yourself,’” Simpson, 47, exclusively told Us last month. “And I was like, ‘OK, sounds great.’ Anyway, I did that in December. It was great for my diet. It really just kickstarted me into eating better and eating healthier ’cause it makes you feel like crap ’cause nothing tastes good.”
While Simpson was only on the drug for a brief period, it helped inspire her to improve her fitness routine and learn to eat better. “It was very short-lived, but it was very effective,” she said.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
